Overwater bungalows in Playa del Carmen, near Cancun, Mexico

In the overwater bungalow scene there is no more popular topic than when Caribbean resorts will build the “honeymoon style” units to compete with those in Bora Bora and the Maldives. A resort on St. Lucia is building 26 overwater bungalows to open in 2013, but until then we have good news as we’ve just become aware of an amazing resort in Playa del Carmen (just south of Cancun) that opened 18 luxury overwater suites in 2011.

It should be noted that they are perched over an inland lagoon that is of a different style than the clear-water lagoons surrounding some volcanic islands. However, the rest of the experience at the Rosewood Mayakoba Resort is the same, if not better. Each overwater suite is nearly 1,000 square feet and has a plunge pool on the sundeck out over the water, and they are filled with modern and luxurious amenities throughout.

In a luxury beachfront compound that has a championship golf course, the Rosewood Mayakoba Resort is one of the finest and highest rated 5-star resorts in Mexico. It has 18 Deluxe Overwater Suites that are perched over its mangrove lagoon, each with a plunge pool and an outdoor rain shower out on the private sundeck. The 110 additional suites are also large and luxurious, and the resort provides 24-hour personal butler service among its high-end amenities.

Easily one of the top rated resorts in all of Mexico, the Rosewood Mayakoba has a secluded beach, an infinity pool, a luxury spa, horseback riding, and even a “tequila library” to add in some local edge. The location is only about an hour south of Cancun Airport, so in addition to everything else, this is the cheapest, fastest, and easiest to reach overwater bungalow resort for most North Americans and even Europeans.

Overwater bungalows starting at US$725 per night
>>>More information about the Rosewood Mayakoba

Overwater bungalows elsewhere in Mexico

We expect that in the coming years there will be a number of new resorts adding overwater bungalows to their Mexico properties, but in the meantime there is only one other worth noting. It’s an eco-resort a bit south of Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific Ocean.